Overview

The username you use to log into your server using an FTP tool or a terminal application is called a user assigned to your website. This user can be either an SFTP or an SSH user. The difference is that only a Shell user can use a terminal to run Unix commands on the server.

Shell access is available to all GreggHost customers, but it must be activated separately for each user added to your account. You’ll learn how to establish a new user with SFTP or Shell access, as well as how to edit an existing user to grant or remove SFTP or Shell access, in the sections below.

Creating a new user with shell access

To create a new website user with shell access, follow these steps:

In your panel, go to the FTP Users & Files page.
2019-11 panel manage-users 01.fw.png
At the upper right, click the + Add A User button.
The page titled “Add User Details” appears:
2019-11 panel new manage users 07.fw.png
Fill in the blanks:
Username — The new user’s username.
Nickname — The new user’s nickname.
Which server will this user be able to access? — Select the server that the user will have access to using the down arrow.
Secure Shell/SSH access — Toggle the switch to enable Secure Shell/SSH access (toggle right). The toggle button turns blue when it is enabled.
Select the Shell Type — When Secure Shell Access is enabled, a drop-down window called ‘Select the Shell Type’ displays. You have the option of using bash, tcsh, ksh, or zsh. For more information on the many Shell types you can use, see Shell users.
Click the Create User button when you’re finished.
Keep in mind that this adjustment takes roughly 5 minutes to take effect.

Editing an existing user to become a SHELL user

To make changes to an existing user, follow these steps:

In your panel, go to the FTP Users & Files page.
manage users and display data
Select a user and then select the ‘Show Info’ option from the drop-down menu.
If your user is an SFTP user, the following appears:
2019-11 panel new manage users 13.fw.png
Click the Edit Access Settings option to switch the user from SFTP to SSH.
For the user you chose, the ‘Edit Access Settings’ page appears:
2019-11 panel new manage users 15.fw.png
Fill in the blanks:
Select SSH – Port 22 (SSH on) from the Protocol drop-down list.
Shell Type — From the drop-down list, choose the Shell type you want to use.
Secure connection (FTP access disabled) — Check this box to disable FTP access (since FTP is not secure).
Click the Save Changes button when you’re finished.
The following settings appear on your user’s details page once SSH is selected and enabled:
2019-11 panel new manage users 16.fw.png

Can I create a Shell user on my server via SSH?

No. In the GreggHost panel, all users must be created. After logging in via SSH, adding a Shell user to the server is not feasible.

Connecting to your server

For more information on how to login to your server using your new Shell user, see the following article:

Overview of SSH
How do I set up PuTTY?
GreggHost has a variety of shells available.
In Mac OS X and Linux, how do you set up passwordless login?
In PuTTY, how can I enable passwordless login?
SSH client software SSH UNIX commands troubleshooting